Study Skills 101

Organize Your Work Space and Maintain It Everyday! Get Organized Organize Your Work Space and Maintain It Everyday! Designate places to keep textbooks, folders and notebooks. Obtain materials and supplies for class and store them in easy to access areas.

Set Up a System for Keeping School Work Organized and Stick to It! Stay Organized Set Up a System for Keeping School Work Organized and Stick to It! Examples Use a color-code system with a different folder for each subject. Use your favorite color for your least favorite subject. Use a planner or monthly calendar to log all of your long term deadlines. Use an assignment book to record assignments. Take 5 to 10 minutes each day to maintain these systems, or at the very least, 15 minutes per week.

Set “SMART” Goals Set Specific, Measurable, Attainable/Affirmative, Realistic, Trackable Goals (SMART Goals) SMART Goals should be both short term (achieved in the near future) and long term (those achieved over a long period of time…say from 1 to 5 years).

Stay Motivated Think Positively! Accept responsibility for motivating yourself! Accept the fact that success results from effort! Reward yourself after completing a goal, task, etc. I can’t emphasize this one enough…you are your own best friend or worst enemy. Don’t be too critical of yourself.

Lecture Notes Tips Have a specific notebook for every class (different color spiral notebooks work pretty well. Read the assignment before going to class. Sit in the front of the classroom! Makes it easier to be engaged. Write the date and title of the lecture at the top of the page. Write down the main idea of the lecture near the top of the lecture. Make an effort to organize your notes. Use abbreviations. Use your own words, except for technical vocabulary. Leave a blank if you missed something so you’ll know to go back and fill in the information. Correlate what you are hearing to what you have read and your own experience. Learn when not to write. Learn to distinguish facts from opinions. Ask questions. Only write on the front side of the paper. Reconstruct/recopy your notes as soon after class as possible. This is always a common trait for good students,

Effective Reading-SQ4R Survey: The material, book or chapter first, to get an idea of what parts you will need to study in detail. Scan the table of contents and see how topics are inter-connected. Make a mental note of all sub-headings or emphasized sections. Question: Yourself as to the purpose of your study, e.g. “What are the main themes, what message do I get from them, how will they be useful to me, what is the sequence of thought or paragraphs?” etc. Read: The chapter from beginning to end. At this stage, do not slow down and concentrate, but finish off the entire material in one sitting. Recall/Recite: What you have read, if necessary make brief notes of main ideas and important details. Try to recall the sequence of sections in your mind. Reciting to someone else helps you put it in your own words. (However, reading aloud does not suit everyone). Review: What you have read and test the accuracy of your memory. Then concentrate on those passages that seem to elude your memory, and read them slowly and carefully. Test: After a gap of few days, test yourself on what you had read. Give yourself mock exams of the same standard and duration as the actual annual or semester exam you are going to face.

Effective Listening Be interested. Ignore Speakers Faults in Delivery: Ignore the speakers mannerism, clothes, voice, and delivery. Focus on the message. Wait to Disagree or Challenge. Listen to the entire idea and get all the facts straight. Listen to the Concepts: Relate small facts to the central themes and principles. Take Brief Notes: Don’t write down everything the speaker says or make detailed outlines. Stop Distractions: Stop distractions caused by classmates by asking them to be quiet or ask the speaker to speak louder. See Difficult Material as a Challenge and Don’t Tune Out. Control Your Emotions: Focus on the literal meaning of words, Don’t let your emotions block your concentration. Use Your Spare Time: Since talking speed is slower than listening speed use that time to summarize ideas, identify central themes, and anticipate what will come next.

In a Nutshell Set Up a Schedule Start Studying for at least 10 – 15 Minutes at a Time and Then Build Up to Longer Periods. Set a study period goal of how many pages to read or problems to do, etc. Take Breaks Reward Yourself Find a Good Location Use the Same Place for Studying Read and Listen Effectively

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